Terrace of the Elephants

The Terrace of the Elephants is a 350-meter long royal viewing platform constructed by Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century, forming part of the monumental royal square at the heart of Angkor Thom. The king used it as an elevated stage to review his victorious armies, observe public ceremonies, and hold grand royal parades before tens of thousands of subjects. The retaining walls are richly decorated with life-size carved elephants depicted in three-dimensional relief, along with garudas, lions, and naga serpents. Five stairways with multi-headed elephant trunks serving as handrails descend from the main platform. The terrace faces the Bayon temple directly and forms a procession route integral to the ancient city's ceremonial layout.